March 12, 2012
Business is Encouraged to Uphold Children's Rights
by Robert Kropp

The Children's Rights and Business Principles call on companies to expand their commitment beyond
child labor and develop policies and due diligence to actively ensure that the rights of children
are respected.

Children are key stakeholders of business, yet they "are among the most marginalized and vulnerable
members of society," according to the recently published Children's Rights and Business Principles. The Principles "call on businesses
everywhere to uphold children's rights through their policy commitments, due diligence and
remediation measures, and to take action to advance children's rights."

The
Principles, which were developed by UNICEF, the UN Global Compact, and Save the Children, grew out of
meetings and online consultations involving more than 600 business leaders, representatives from
civil society and government, experts, and children. While they do not create new legal obligations
for companies, they echo the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in calling for policy commitments and
human rights due diligence.

The Guiding Principles, authored by Professor John Ruggie, the
UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Business and Human Rights (UNSRSG), were endorsed
by the United Nations Human Rights Council in June of last year.

The first Principle
encourages corporate social responsibility (CSR) toward children through policy commitments, due
diligence measures, and remediation. The remaining eight are mapped according to the workplace, the
marketplace, and the community and environment.

"To date, recognition of the
responsibility of business towards children has often focused on preventing or eliminating child
labor," the Principles observe, and continuing to addressing child labor is encouraged. The
Principles go well beyond this single issue, however, and call for assessments of business
operations through products and services and marketing, along with relationships with national
governments and local communities.

"Respect for children's rights is the minimum required
of business," the Principles state. "Actions to support children's rights are strongly encouraged."